Food in Provence (and elsewhere)

Checking on the yoghurt first thing this morning, it is very yellow!

Looking from the side, though, it’s clear the colour is from cream that has risen to the top. The pot of yoghurt that Darina showed on the first day, though, looked the same colour all the way through. I think I may have a few questions to ask on Wednesday when we are taught about yoghurt, butter and cheese making…

After breakfast I have the first session with my new mentee from CERN. Me being here in Ballymaloe isn’t going to be a problem as he’s in Latvia writing up his PhD so we’ll likely never meet in person anyway.

Then it’s time to write my order of work tomorrow but I get a message from BV (the person I gave a lift to last week from Cork here to the school) suggesting we go to a local trail for a bike/jog session. It’s very appealing as I’m not sure I’ll get much exercise otherwise. What seals the deal is that the trail starts at Midleton train station where I’m due to pick up MB from the cottage who’s returning from Dublin with her bike. Cycling alongside a jogging BV like some personal trainer isn’t very easy, though, so I end up cycling loops like a dog running round a person out walking! And we finish way to early to hang around until Maria is due in by train. But a healthy 25km ride and a useful find as the path goes all the way to Youghal (pronounced Yawl!), a 3-hour round trip that I figure I’ll make some time during my stay here.

Back at the cottage having finally collected MB, I finish my order of work. I’m a little worried as I need to switch tasks between cooking a sweetbread starter with salad and home-made crisps and a crème caramel—a crème caramel, moreover, that’s has to be presented with a caramel cage! I abandon my attempts at scheduling to be finished by 12. I figure I’m going to need time for sugar work I’ve never done before… I do have to help serve lunch tomorrow but the world won’t end if I’m not around right at the beginning.